Return
by royallyblue
Summary: Carter left Abby and their small daughter years ago without reason. Now he's back, but how will Abby and his now-grown daughter react? CARBY. R&R.
1. Default Chapter

**Return**

_Carter looked down at the small sleeping figure. He brushed the hair away from her forehead. Leaning into the darkness, he planted a small kiss on her forehead._

_'I love you,' he whispered._

_~*~_

"Mom!"

Abby was startled out of sleep. She glanced at the alarm clock next to her bed.

"Damn," she muttered. She must have drifted off after her alarm sounded.

"I don't have an ironed blouse!" the girl screamed from downstairs. Abby pulled herself out of bed. She descended the stairs quickly, pulling her robe around her and tying it over her pajamas.  She practically flew into the laundry room to iron a blouse hastily. A thin, brown-haired pre-teen stood expectantly in the doorway clad in a short gray pleated skirt, knee socks and black shoes. She was slightly more scantily dressed on top in a mere tank top. Abby thrust the shirt at her.

"Put this on, I'll make breakfast," she said.

"Thanks."

Abby rushed to the kitchen. How could she possibly be so late? She'd be late to work now.  She had just put the milk on the table when the girl entered the kitchen.

"Sara, that tie is dirty, put it in the hamper and get another one." 

"I like it dirty."

"That's a shame. I thought I'd taught you about hygiene by now." The girl ignored Abby and slinked into her place at the table, picked up a piece of toast and had it propped just in front of her opened mouth when Abby snatched it.

"Change your tie," she stated.

Sara rolled her eyes and headed off to her room.  She returned a few seconds later, tying a striped burgundy and gray tie and pulling down her collar once again.

"Happy?" she muttered as she took her seat and picked up the toast again.

"Very," Abby said with a sly grin as she took her place across from her daughter.

"This coming from the woman in her pajamas and a robe." Abby glared at her.

"I slept through my alarm," she muttered. Sara chuckled.

"Right."

~*~

"Hey, Abby," Susan called to Abby as the doors swung open and Abby entered. 

"Hi," Abby greeted and she headed toward the lounge. At passing the admit. lounge, all the gossiping nurses immediately quieted and stared at her. She watched them curiously for a few seconds, but then shrugged it off and continued of her way to the lounge to change into your scrubs.

"Abby! You're late!" Weaver screeched as Abby returned from changing. Abby cringed and turned to face the hot-tempered red head.

"Sorry."

"Not good enough. Get to work!" Abby hurried to it, rushing to admit. to pick up a chart.

~

"…. yeah, tomorrow. But don't tell Abby," she heard Chuny whisper to Malik.

"Don't tell Abby what?" she asked, hands on hips.

They both swung around to look at her.

"Not you, Abby. My cousin, Abby," Chuny said quickly.

"Really? I wasn't aware that Malik was close with your cousin," Abby said angrily.

"Yeah, I am," Malik piped up.

"So, what can't we tell her? I'd like to be let in on the secret," Abby stated.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, nothing."

Abby shook her head, not wanting to deal with any gossip that related to her. She picked up a chart and hurried off to attend to a patient.

~

Abby walked by admit. again later that day and a new group of nurses and doctors were huddled around. She took a place at the back of the crowd and listened, tying to stay inconspicuous.

"He's really coming back?"

Abby strained to hear more.

"Yeah, but don't tell Abby. She'll flip."

"It'll be worse if he just shows up."

"Yeah, but then she'll be mad at him and not at us."

"I can't believe that Carter would dare – "

Abby didn't hear anymore. 

It was if her ears turned off.

Carter couldn't be coming back. She backed away from the crowd, colliding with the desk behind her. She clutched onto it for support and everyone turned around to face her.

"God, Abby," Susan was the first to talk, "You didn't just hear that…?" She stopped suddenly and everyone quickly dispersed.

Susan approached Abby.

"No one even told me!" Abby hissed.

"We didn't think you should know because…"

"I know. I heard you all gossiping evilly about me. I know. Trust me, I know."

Susan looked at her regretfully, not saying anything. Abby let some steam off by clenching her hands and breathing heavily and was slightly calmer after a few seconds.

"When?" she asked finally.

"Tomorrow," Susan answered meekly.

"Oh my God. I think I'm going to be sick."

Susan put a reassuring arm on Abby's shoulder.

"It's been so long," Abby continued, cupping her hot face in her hands. 

"Ten years," Susan reaffirmed.

"Why?"

Susan shrugged and pulled Abby into a comforting hug.

~*~

Abby sat at the table at dinner that night. She was staring blankly at the wall, not really eating anything… just remembering.

"Mom!" Sara said harshly. Abby faced her.

"I asked you three times, pass the milk, please." Abby consented and passed the desired item across the table.

"How as school?" she asked blankly and Sara shrugged.

"It was okay," The girl pulled on her tied and loosened it around her neck.

"Mom, are you okay?" she asked finally, looking skeptically at Abby.

"I'm… yeah. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. Maybe you should lie down. I'll do the dishes." Abby smiled appreciatively, but shook her head.

"Thank you, though, hun. Nice of you to offer."

They ate in silence for a few more minutes.

"You like me to tell you when I'm upset," Sara muttered finally. Abby looked up at her thoughtfully.

"John's back," she said quietly and she heard Sara's fork clatter against her plate, "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't find out until today."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

Abby watched the girl's face fall.

"You can't make me see him! You can't!" she yelled as she pushed her chair away from the table and scurried up the stairs.

"God-damned you, Carter," Abby said to no one as she followed her daughter up the staircase to her room.

Sara was strewn across her bed, sobbing. Abby took a seat on the bed next to her, rubbing the girl's back comfortingly.

"I know, Sara. You don't have to. I won't him come here until you're ready to see him."

"Why is he suddenly coming back? He left so suddenly, does he think that we'll just let him back into our lives? I'm happy without him. He hurt you, Mom. He upset you so much when he left. He hurt me when he left. I don't want to see him again. EVER!"

Abby sighed and hugged Sara.

"To tell you the truth, neither do I, but we have to face our problems and he'll want to see you. You don't have to talk to him until you're ready. God knows I'm not going to force you to see him."

Sara nodded and wiped her tears on her sleeve.

"Do you want to finish your dinner?" Abby asked; tired. Sara shook her head and Abby sighed again, getting up to tend to the dishes.


	2. Chapter Two

**Return**

_Sorry, I forgot a 'disclaimer', I'll put it here._

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to ER. It all belongs to the nice people at NBC. I'm just borrowing.**

~*~

Abby lay awake that night. She couldn't sleep. She was dreading going to work the next day. She'd have to see Carter for the first time in nearly five years. She couldn't do that.

She stared at her ceiling, trying to will herself into slumber, but failing miserably and succeeding only in making herself more nervous.  She twitched as she heard a figure descend the staircase and she knew Sara couldn't sleep either. So, mustering up some strength, she pulled a robe around her tired body and followed her daughter to the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mom. Did I wake you up?" Sara whispered from a seat at the table.

Abby smiled encouragingly at her.

"No. I couldn't sleep either. No need to whisper."

Sara grinned back.

"I guess I'm just really nervous. I don't want it to be tomorrow."

Abby glanced at the clock behind Sara's head. They should be sleeping. Oh, to hell with it, Abby decided. She walked over to the fridge and took out the milk, preparing to make two steaming cups of hot chocolate.

"Marshmallows?"

"Please."

Abby nodded and set to work quietly, immersed in thought.

"You know," she said finally, "When you were little, you used to wake up all the time in the middle of the night. For no reason. Just because you couldn't sleep."

"I remember," Sara replied with a nostalgic smile.

"It used to annoy me so much. I'd have to get up and come down to make you something to eat or to read you a book or sing you a lullaby."

"Sorry."

"No, not the point of the story. Let me finish," Abby smiled, "It was your father who usually came down for you in the end. He was smitten by you. You could do anything and get away with it. I warned him that if he kept coming down and fulfilling your every desire, you'd never want to sleep the whole night. I warned him, but of course he didn't listen. He was stubborn like that. So, for almost a year, every night, regardless of whether he had work the next day, or if he had just finished a tiring double shift at the hospital, he would pad downstairs and make you hot chocolate -- almost always leaving the milk out to spoil, I might add – and you would call it the 'Daddy drink'."

After a thoughtful pause, Abby smiled again, dropping the marshmallows into the mugs and bringing them to the table.

"I remember," Sara said finally with a sigh.  Abby nodded.

"Of course, you went through a stage of refusing milk, too. You thought it was water mixed with chalk, so 'Daddy drinks' ended up being very useful. It was your calcium intake of the day."

Sara chuckled and Abby smiled warmly at her.  They both took a few sips of their steaming drinks, before Abby reached a hand out across the table, taking Sara's hand in hers.

"Don't worry," she said in her soft maternal voice and Sara nodded.

"I'll try," she promised.

~*~

Next morning, Abby awoke hardly refreshed, but feeling a little better knowing that Sara was somewhat reassured.

She showered quickly and came out slightly more awake. She heard the muffled noises of Sara waking up in her own room across the hall and she got dressed hurriedly and went downstairs to make breakfast.

"Mom, have you seen my blazer?" Sara called from upstairs.

"It's in the front closet," Abby called back. She was sitting in the kitchen reading the paper and Sara was still rummaging about in her room. 

She heard a pair of shoe-clad feet scamper down the staircase.

"Thanks," Sara said as she entered the kitchen, tying her tie and pulling on the collar of her blazer.

"Why the blazer?"

"Trip to the theatre. We have to wear our formal uniforms."

"I hate that blazer."

"Me too," Sara replied and gave Abby a small kiss on the cheek taking a seat at the table and picking up a piece of toast. "What time are you off work today?"

"Around seven. There's spaghetti in the fridge you can heat up. Eat without me, or invite a friend, I won't be home until almost eight."

Sara nodded.

"I need shoe polish."

"More?" Abby asked, exasperated.

"They're really strict this year. They take off points at uniform check for scuffed shoes."

"We'll go Sunday, you can get a new pair. Those ones are old anyway."

"Thanks, Mom."

~*~

Abby walked into the hospital, her eyes searching the halls and rooms to make sure he was nowhere in the vicinity. Her throat constricted. She wasn't ready to see him yet.

After a sigh of relief, she continued on her way to the lounge. Susan stopped her halfway.

"Hey, Abby."

Abby smiled meekly.

"I know you're nervous. Don't worry; he won't be here for another two hours."

Abby nodded. She didn't want him to be there _ever_.

Every time she thought of him, she was reminded of the life they were supposed to have. They had been so happy. Deciding on a date for their wedding, bringing up their daughter…

She sighed and tried to hold back tears. She hadn't faced any of this in so long. She wiped away a tear that had escaped and slammed her locker shut, taking a steadying breath and exiting the lounge. She felt that everyone was staring at her, even though she knew it was stupid to think so. She tried to treat the patients well, but her mind was not on her work. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

She was at admit. when he came in. She hadn't realized that it had been two hours. She felt her hands shake and her breath become unsteady. People were gathering around him, wishing him welcome, asking him questions. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. She felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest – she was surprised that no one else could hear it.

He caught her eye for a second and she immediately looked down at the charts that lay before her. She saw him, out of the corner of her peripheral vision, as he began to approach her. She grabbed a chart hastily and hurried off.

She wasn't ready to see him yet. 

She took a detour to the women's washroom and locked herself into a stall.

Leaning against the partition wall, she felt herself begin to breathe again. She was crying. When had she started to cry? She hadn't noticed. She pushed away a tear with an unsteady hand and tried to steady her breath.

How could come back? She felt anger and pain and regret and plethora of other emotions pulse through her body.

She tried to stop her hysteria, but she couldn't. 

The washroom door opened and she knew it was Susan, but she didn't move. 

"Abby, I know you're in here. I saw you come in."

Abby didn't respond.

"Abby, come out, please. I just want to talk to you."

Abby relented after a few seconds, opening the door hesitantly.  Susan was standing by the sink, watching worriedly. She opened her arms as Abby opened the door and Abby let Susan embrace her in a comforting hug.

"Abby, Abby, Abby…" Susan muttered and Abby pulled away, looking at Susan seriously.

"How could he come back?" Abby asked, disgust and fear apparent in her voice.

"He was in town, at the mansion again, he wanted a job."

Abby felt her tears beginning again and she desperately willed them back down her aching throat.

"I just thought you should know," Susan began, "He has a girlfriend.  She's out there with him."

Abby looked at Susan incredulously.

"What?" She nearly screamed.

"He…"

"How could he?" Abby whispered, "Oh my God, what am I going to tell Sara?"

Susan bit her bottom lip.

"Don't worry, it will be okay," she said unconvincingly.

"Susan, everything is going wrong."

~

Abby walked out of the washroom after a few moments of collecting herself. She walked resolutely to the exam room that the chart she had picked up told her.

She treated patients in a haze, not really paying attention to anything, aside from trying desperately to stay away from John Carter.

She took a break an hour later, heading to the lounge for coffee.

She entered the room, sighing deeply.

Carter was on the couch with his 'girlfriend' on the couch. He had her in a deep embrace, their faces locked together in a passionate kiss.

Abby stood paralyzed. She couldn't even think straight to get out. The door slammed behind her and Carter looked up in surprise. At seeing his face, Abby recollected her senses and marched straight out of the room. The last thing she heard was 'Abby?!"


	3. Chapter Three

**Return**

Abby hurried out of the room as quickly as she could, escaping to the ambulance bay for a breath of fresh air. She tried to breathe normally, but she couldn't. 

She heard the doors of the ER skid open automatically and she saw him rush out of the doors, eyeing the expanse of the ambulance bay hastily. He spotted her and she knew she had to face him now. Get it over with.

"Abby," he panted as he reached her.

"Carter," she said brusquely.

"Wow. Long time no see. How are you?" Abby felt her eyes boggle out of her head. This wasn't real. Those words weren't coming out of his mouth. How could he be so casual about this?

She saw his face fall as he realized his coy wouldn't work and she noticed certain nervousness in the lines around his brow.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, "I shouldn't have…" he gestured behind him – toward the lounge, "You shouldn't have had to see that."

Abby snorted in disgust. She didn't care, she told herself. She didn't care.

"It's not what it looks like."

"I've heard that somewhere before," Abby muttered.  She looked past Carter at the young woman standing in the doorway of the hospital, looking on.

"I have to get back to work," she said finally, walking past Carter, past his barely-past-teenagehood girlfriend into the hospital, trying to put the whole encounter behind her.

~*~

Abby unlocked the door to the house that night and sighed as she pushed the door open. She didn't know what to tell Sara.

She walked into the house and heard the television on in the other room being flicked off as Sara approached her.

Abby felt a tear fall down her cheek as she watched Sara come from the den. She was remembering all those years ago when they were a family, when Carter used to come out of that very same door for dinner with Sara on his shoulders smiling happily.

Abby opened her arms and Sara walked into them. They hugged each other momentarily, Abby rubbing Sara's back comfortingly.

"I hate him," Sara muttered into Abby's shoulder, "I hate him."

Abby didn't know what to say. She didn't want Sara to hate her own father, but she couldn't find anything nice to say about Carter just then. In fact, she hated him too.

"It'll be okay," Abby soothed. After a momentary silence, she continued, "Have you eaten yet?"

Sara pulled away and nodded.

"Yeah, Summer was here before, but she left about an hour ago."

"Want to keep me company while I eat?"

"Sure."

And that was it. They didn't talk about him again all night.

~*~  
Abby walked into work the next morning, eyeing the facility briefly to be sure that he was nowhere around. After verifying that she would not run into him again, she scurried to the lounge to put her stuff away and start work, hopefully distracting herself from thinking of him.

~

It was nearly four hours later when she trudged across the ambulance bay toward Ike's for a quick lunch. The air was damp and she was inwardly hoping against rain. 

She took a seat in a booth and awaited the arrival of a waitress by staring idly out the window. 

He was pulling his car up.

She turned toward the counter, hoping the waitress would hurry so she could order already.

He was stepping out. His girlfriend wasn't there.

She hoped that he didn't see her. She didn't want to talk to him.

He was entering the hospital…. No, wait, he was approaching Ike's. It seems he hadn't eaten lunch before his shift.

Abby picked up a menu hastily and buried her head behind it, desperately wishing that he not see her.

She peered over the edge and she knew it was late.

He was already approaching the small corner table.

"So, how's Sara?" he asked cheerily as he took a seat.

Abby imagined needles sticking through various parts of his body and it made her feel slightly better, but she still ignored him, got up and headed toward the exit.   


	4. Chapter Four

**Return**

A/N: Wow, sorry for the lack of updates. I haven't had much time, but I promise I'll be better now!

Abby slammed the door to the house and nearly threw her keys onto the table by the door. Sara wasn't home yet, thank God, so she had some time to mull things over in her head and try to calm her anger.

She sat on the couch and rubbed her eyes with the tips of the fingers, trying to soothe her headache.

_"Abby! Why do you keep running away?"_

_"Oh, please, Carter, don't start with me. I don't have the strength to deal with this right now."_

_"That's right, Abby. Just run, Abby, as usual."_

_Abby turned on her heel and came up to him so that their faces were almost touching._

_"Don't _ever_ say that to me again, Carter. Not after you left me. Not after you left our daughter. You make me sick," she snarled. She sensed that someone had come up behind her, watching their interactions. It was probably one of the hospital staff. She didn't care about maintaining her dignity anymore._

_"Oh, please, Abby," he said, throwing his hands up in the air in frustrated resignation, "You asked me to leave! You kicked me out!"_

_"You were sleeping with her, Carter. You were having an _affair._ Don't try to turn the tables against me."_

_"You know what, you're right. You know what? I'm happy I left. I got away from you. You don't even have the decency to leave me alone now. We have nothing to do with each other anymore and you're still blaming me."_

_"You had a daughter to care for. You still do," her voice was getting shrill and hysterical._

_"I give you money for her whenever you ask. I pay for her education."_

_"Your _mother_ pays for her education."_

_"It's all the same."_

_"No, it's not, Carter. You're wrong. She wants a father. She doesn't want a bunch of money. Paper can't comfort her and love her and give her everything that it's your _responsibility_ to give her."_

__

The phone rang and Abby stared at it blankly. She wasn't in the mood of talking to anyone.  The message machine picked up and Abby turned her attention to a bird that was fluttering about outside the table.

"Abby, it's Susan. I know you're there. Please pick up." Silence. Susan was waiting for her to pick up. "Abby, please. We need to talk." Abby stared at the message machine contemplatively. Should she pick up? Finally, after a few seconds more of listening to Susan's calm breathing from the other side of the machine, she reached an arm out and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Abby?"

"No, It's the Queen of England."

"I heard what happened to day," Susan said with a sigh, "I feel awful."

"It's not your fault."

_"I can't please everyone Abby."_

_"No, but your family should come first on your metre of importance."_

__

"He was a really ass-hole about everything."

"Whatever. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay."

There was an awkward silence.

"Well," Susan said slowly, "I should probably be going, but if there's anything you need – anything at all – you know who to call."

"Thanks, Susan."

"My pleasure, talk to you later."

Abby hung the phone up lightly.

_Carter didn't have anything to say to that. He just glared at her for a few seconds._

_"I'm sorry I left," he said finally, not sounding sorry at all, "I thought it was what you wanted." Abby looked at the floor, embarrassed._

_"How could you even say that?" she asked finally. Quietly. Tears threatening to fall.  She turned around walked through the doors of County and back into the hospital. Susan was standing just outside the door wearing a trauma gown – obviously waiting for an ambulance to arrive – watching._

__

Abby sighed again and picked herself off the couch to start making dinner.


	5. Chapter Five

**Return**

Sara linked her arm through Abby's as they walked through the mall.

"Thanks for the shoes, Mom," she said and Abby smiled. They walked in comfortable silence for a while as Abby marveled over their relationship. Many mothers in Sara's class had complained about how their daughters didn't _communicate_ with them. Abby had never had that problem with Sara. They knew what the other was thinking. They understood each other. They were almost like sisters in that they were comfortable talking about boys, movies, anything. They had the closeness of siblings, but they still maintained a certain structure in their relationship. They still loved each other like a mother and daughter.

"Ice cream?" Abby asked as they passed a Baskin Robbins and she didn't even have to turn her head to know that Sara was nodding.

"Mint chocolate chip," she said, "please."

Abby was lying in her bed reading later that night when the phone rang. She glanced at the clock. It was late for someone to be calling.

She picked up the phone with a small sense of resignation, hoping it wasn't someone who wanted to talk for a great length of time. She was tired. She had to work tomorrow.

"Hello?"

"Abby?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"It's Carter."

Abby nearly hung up the phone on the spot, but she changed her mind. She decided that she'd have to hear what he had to say eventually.

"Hi."

"I just wanted to," he sighed, "apologize for what I said before. It wasn't right and I'm sorry. I must have made myself look like a real ass."

"Yeah," she said with a small grin that she immediately wiped off her face, "You did."

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that I hope that we can get over our issues and just be friends again."

Abby muffled a scornful protest.

"I guess," she muttered finally.

There was a short silence.

"My mother wanted me to invite you two for dinner sometime this week."

"Will you be there?" she asked and she immediately wished she hadn't.

She could almost hear him smile, though she knew he hurt.

"Yeah, I guess I will be. Considering that I live here."

"I'll talk to Sara about it," she said finally, "but I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"Okay."

"Good night, then."

"Wait."

"Yeah?" she really didn't want to stretch out this conversation any longer than it had to be.

"We're okay then?" he asked quietly. "I just want to be sure."

"We'll talk tomorrow, Carter. Good night."

She hung up the phone before he could stop her again.


	6. Chapter Six

"Hey, Abby," Susan smiled as she stepped into work the next morning. Abby grinned back at her before taking one last sip of coffee, throwing out the cup and heading for the lounge to put her stuff away.

She swung open the door labeled 'Doctors' Lounge' and was met face-to-face with Carter.

"Sorry," she muttered as she stepped aside to let him by.

"It's okay," he said and turned to her, "Actually, perfect timing. I have to talk to you anyway."

Abby groaned inwardly. What did he want?

She stepped up to her locker and made a lopsided hand gesture signifying that she was paying attention.

He was looking kind of nervous when Abby turned to face him. He still hadn't said anything.

"Did you talk to Sara?" his voice was low.

Abby nodded and placed her stethoscope around her neck.

"And…?"

Abby looked at his strained face and shook her head apologetically.

"Sorry, John," she said finally.

She watched as he hunched over with his face in his hands and she wished that she could be thinking something other than, _"this is all your fault, man."_

_--OoOoOoO--_

Abby stepped into the house that night and Sara was watching TV in the family room. Abby walked into the room and plopped down on the couch next to her daughter.

"We have to talk," she said as she placed an arm over Sara's shoulder. Sara flicked the television off and faced Abby curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Your Dad has been asking about you a lot lately. He really wants to see you."

Sara looked at her hands.

"I know," she said and Abby raised and eyebrow, "Grandma Eleanor called while you were at work."

Abby felt a flicker of anger shoot through her, but it disappeared quickly and she found herself feeling bad for the old woman – torn between her granddaughter and son.

"And…?" Abby prompted her, looking imploringly into the girl's eyes. Sick of the conflict Carter was creating. Why did he have to come back and throw everything off course?

"And I told her that we would go for dinner on Thursday."

Abby faced the girl seriously.

"Are you sure?"

Sara shrugged and finally nodded.

"I'm sure."


	7. Chapter Seven

Sara was fidgeting with the waistline of her skirt. Abby knew she was nervous.

"Hey," she said, giving her daughter's arm a comforting pat, "It'll be okay."

Sara looked up and smiled at her, her eyes revealing her fear. Abby smiled comfortingly back.  She was nervous too, but it was more important that she be together for Sara.

"Well," she said finally and she rang the bell. They had been standing there for a while – in silence – and neither of them had dared to ring it yet.

"Mom?" Sara began and her voice was low and tense, "What if he doesn't like me."

Abby pulled the girl into a quick hug.

"Then he's crazy," she said and she grinned at her again. The girl opened her mouth to say something again when the front door swung open.

"Abby! Sara!" Eleanor exclaimed pulling her granddaughter into an embrace and smiling widely at Abby, "I'm so happy that you could make it."

Abby nodded and smiled back. Eleanor really wasn't all that bad. When Carter left she had been more than supportive and she had gone beyond the call of duty paying tuition annually for Sara to attend the top school in the state. She had them over at least once a month and she always made sure to keep in touch with Sara through phone calls when she traveled to Florida every winter.

"Come on in," she said, gesturing toward the confines of the mansion, "We're all waiting."

"We all?" Sara asked timidly.

"Yes, John and his gi–" catching the hint from a hard glare from Abby she caught herself and said, "Your father and his friend."  Abby had neglected to tell Sara that her father had picked up a young girlfriend during his absence.

They walked slowly to the dining room, Abby keeping her arm protectively around Sara's shoulder. Anyone who tried to hurt this girl would have to deal with her.

Carter was wearing a shirt and tie (a _tie_?!) and the girl next to him was clad in a semi-formal pair of slacks and a blouse. Abby groaned inwardly. No one had told them they were supposed to be dressed up. Eleanor was wearing a suit, but then again, Eleanor was always wearing a suit.

Abby suddenly felt very underdressed in her jeans and long-sleeved tee and she could tell by the way that Sara was playing with the cuffs of her uniform sweater that she was uncomfortable too.

They took seats next to each other and Carter cleared his throat.

"Hi," he said and Sara and Abby looked at him with identical expressions of exasperations and confusion. They remained silent and Carter continued in his blundering way, "Um, you've grown quite a bit, Sara."

"Yeah, that tends to happen over six year," the girl muttered quietly and Abby put a hand on her leg under the table, trying to keep her from doing something she would regret.

Carter looked abashedly at his plate and began to fiddle with his fork. Abby was watching his fingers push the fork sideways on his napkin and then pick it up and turn it over and over in his hands. She wished he would stop it. It was making her nervous to watch and she didn't really want to be any more nervous and upset than she already was.

He saw her eyeing the fork and immediately put it down, placing his hands resolutely in his lap before removing them and gesturing toward the woman next to him.

"This is Monica," he said and Sara and Abby both turned their attention to her silently.

Eleanor called attention to her end of the table by tapping a knife lightly against her cup.

She chuckled but nobody else grinned and Abby wished she could just leave.

"How about we get dinner started?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me," Abby said with a plastered-on smile, being sure to avoid eye-contact with Carter.

"I hope you all have good appetites, because there's plenty of food. Let me just see what's keeping Elsa with the salads." She stood up and left the silent table, the sashaying of her skirts the only noise apparent in the room.

They all eyed each other nervously for a few seconds before Monica spoke up.

"So, you're John's daughter?" she said and the smile on her face looked as though it would taste like candy if someone took a bite of it. Too sugary sweet and very fake.

Sara nodded and tried to smile, but her nerves and apprehension made it look more like a grimace.

_John?_ was all that Abby could think. Who – aside from his mother – called him John? He let her call him John? She still made a point of not looking at him and however childish it felt, it gave her some satisfaction knowing that he was aware that she was mad.

"What grade are you in?" Monica asked, her voice like cotton candy, but her words hacking like a knife into the tense silence.

"Sixth."

"Wow, that's great!"

Abby could tell that Sara didn't like this woman. Though she had nothing wrong, she still gave off the impression of looking down upon you and Abby assumed that her bank account was probably busting at the seams. She may not be as rich as the Carters, but the jewels that dripped from her neck and ears and wrists made it apparent that she was pretty close.

Sara nodded and rolled her eyes slowly around the room, not wanting to look at either of the questioning faces across the table either.

Eleanor returned just then and smiled briskly at them.

"Well, the salad is on its way," she turned her attention to Abby, "Abby, there's a new restaurant in town that I just _must_ take you and Sara to the next time you have a chance. I hear the food is just to die for."

Abby nodded.

"That sounds great. I'm off Monday afternoon, but Sara and I have plans," she could feel Carter's eyes digging hungrily into the side of her neck, "so it'd have to wait a week or so." Eleanor nodded.

"I understand entirely. You just give me a call when you know for sure and I'll make a reservation."

Abby glanced sideways at Sara who was staring at Carter. She kicked her lightly under the table and Sara go the point, turning her attention to her plate and fingering a piece of hair that had fallen out of her hastily-tied-up ponytail.

"How have you been, Sara?" Carter asked, his first vocalization since his last attempt at conversation.

"Okay."

Abby could hear the tears in Sara's throat and she wanted to hug the girl on the spot and pull her away from Carter and anything that could possibly relate to him. The man was putting her daughter through all this on purpose. He had to be. Abby couldn't find anything within her that had a decent feeling about Carter.

"Abby?"

She looked up from her thoughts, thinking she had missed the question.

"Yes?" she asked lightly, looking at Carter finally. Her heart would have melted at the sight of his broken and disheveled spirit if only she could let it.

"How have you been?"

She stared at him, trying to build up her hatred again. She much preferred being angry to feeling guilty.

"Can't complain and yourself?" she said finally.

She knew that Sara wouldn't be able to accept Carter until she did and, looking at his face, she felt that maybe, just maybe, he deserved a second chance. Maybe, just maybe, he was hurting inside as much as she had when he left.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Return**

_This chapter isn't my usual style, but I'd love to hear what you all think about it._

[]-[]-[]-[]

Monica folded her hands in her lap and stared out at the two people across the table from her. These were the two girls Carter had not stopped talking about all week.  The older one – though they looked remarkably close in age – glanced at Carter and Monica felt her face growing hot. John Carter was hers now. She hadn't spent months and months talking about whatever he pleased, pretending to be interested in his hobbies and quirks. No, she was going to get something out of all of her troubles and this woman – this Abby – was not going to drag him away.

After all, how many caring, handsome, young, multi-millionaires are there around the world?

[]-[]-[]-[]

Carter put a hand on the arm of the woman sitting next to him.

"Monica," he said, barely audibly, calling her back from her thoughts. She turned to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He felt his daughter and Abby watching them and he turned away from Monica as she nodded. He smiled at the two girls – _his_ two girls – across the table and continued to eat. He wanted to talk, he wished he had something to say, because all this quiet was killing him. He wanted to be close with his daughter. She was his daughter, for crying out loud, but he knew that she didn't think very highly of him. Not that he blamed her.

Truth is, he wasn't even sure why he had left all those years ago. At the time it had seemed the right thing to do. He and Abby were quarrelling more and more often every day. He had made some mistakes and Abby couldn't let him live them down. His family was harassing him because and Abby weren't married and work seemed to be only an escape from his life at home.

Now that he thought about it in hindsight, it hadn't been so bad.

And now, here he was, trying to get reacquainted with a daughter he didn't know while his girlfriend (for whom he had no feelings whatsoever, he might add) sat sulking by his side. It wasn't fair for anyone. And it was all his fault. He felt awful.

[]-[]-[]-[]

Eleanor looked out across the table into the tense faces of her company. She loved her son and she loved her granddaughter and she even had a spot in her heart for Abby and they all looked so nervous and uneasy. She wished she could just find something to say to make everyone settle down.

"Well, the weather is getting nicer."

Wow, that didn't seem to work very well.

[]-[]-[]-[]

Sara looked to her grandmother and knew that she was just trying to make it easier on everyone.

"Yeah, the alumnae picnic is coming up at my school and all the sixth graders have to go and help serve refreshments. Are you coming, Grandma? You're an alumnus; you even have your name on the assembly hall."

"We'll see." A small smile.

Sara took another spoonful of soup and looked curiously at her father. He was gazing back at her and he winked suddenly before turning his attention to his own bowl. Her mother wasn't eating much, but that was to be expected. Abby never ate much when she was nervous or under stress. Still, Sara felt bad because she didn't really hate her father anymore, and yet she thought it was her duty to despise him because of what he had done to them. What he had done to their family.

She pushed the noodles in the cream soup along on the bottom of the bowl, making small wakes with her spoon and thinking.

The woman Monica laughed out loud (very loud – Sara thought she sounded like a horse neighing) at something that John had just said and Abby chuckled. Grandma Eleanor looked at Monica with a small smirk of disgust. No one laughs like that in front of Grandma. No matter how funny the joke is. Grandma's just the type of person who people are always quiet around. Sara already disliked Monica and she had been daydreaming right through the joke, so she didn't laugh. She tried not to, but she couldn't help throwing a disdainful look in Monica's direction.

[]-[]-[]-[]

Abby chuckled at Carter's comment. The atmosphere was lightening and by the time the main course had been brought out, everyone was much more at ease. Abby wasn't sure how the transaction from tense to calm had taken place and when it had happened, but it had.

"So, Sara, where are you planning to go for high school?" Carter asked with a smile. Sara had been rather quiet until now, aside from her comment about her school's alumnae brunch.

"Um, probably Benet or FLA."

Carter leaned back in his chair, and stretched his arms out in front of him for a second.

"Forest Lake Academy," he said with a hint of nostalgia, "I have some distinct memories of that place: snowballs on Christmas day, sneaking to the girls' dorms at night – though I only remember one successful attempt. Yes, I left quite a name for myself at Forest Lake."

Sara grinned.

"Yeah, but it's too far to commute, so I'd have to five day or full-time board and my Mom doesn't want me to."

Abby looked fondly at Sara. Sara was all she had. She really didn't want her to leave, even if she could home on the weekend. She patted Sara on the shoulder and faced Carter who was watching her little display of maternal affection with hungry eyes.

"We'll see," she said finally.

"I get a lot of that around here," Sara sighed and Abby chuckled.

"I don't think you've got it too tough around here, Sara."

Abby had a little sense of satisfaction noting Monica's bored expression. She had nothing personal against the woman, but really, she didn't like her very much.


End file.
